Here’s why you should quit blogging

Strange coming from me, eh?

I’m as serious as a heart attack though. This can be an amazing space to learn, grow and flourish, but it also has more time sucking power than a black hole.

And you may be like that fuzzy little guy running on the wheel with no end in sight.

Think about it.

Are you enjoying your time here? Or, has it become a daily chore? An act of drudgery?

If the later is your answer, it’s time to jump off this monster of a wheel and do some soul searching.

I don’t want to get all dramatic on your ass, but you do get what I’m saying, right?

If you’re engaging in one or more of the activities listed below on a daily basis, it might be a good idea to “punch out” for a spell.

1. You’re spending all your time consuming versus producing.

If you don’t know why you’re here, maybe you’re spending too many hours in the bubble, reading away but never acting.

Avoidance results in zero progress and most social media activity is avoidance.

And if you have no plan, maybe you should untether from social for a while. Give yourself a break and experience life.

Or, maybe do the following each morning:

Write. Create. Plan.

Stop reading email first thing in the morning. You can stand to ignore Facebook and Twitter for a few hours too.

If I start my day with email and social media, it’s almost a guarantee that I’ll be unproductive and this kind of thing can suck the life right out of you. This process sets the tone for the day and can make a potentially good day a crap day.

Yes, social can be a wonderful playground, but it can also become an endless mill of consumption.

Start your day in creation mode.

2. There are a million other things you’d rather be doing.

I can’t wait to write every day, and have a hard time stopping. But I like to think writing is a worthwhile pursuit.

Is writing more pain than pleasure? Has blogging become drudgery?

You know how I feel about embracing discomfort, but the type of pain above will simply suck you dry. If the practice is weighing you down, it might be time to take a social media vacation and reevaluate why in the hell you’re doing this.

Do you think your brain is wired for this shit? Me neither. If blogging is making you unhappy, please do yourself a favor and stop or back off.

3. You read nothing but blogs.

Yes, I know this might read like anathema to the social crowd, but it’s a hard truth.

Reading, sharing, commenting. It’s all good, but if your only reading list originates from your Google Reader, you need to make some changes.

I know some insanely creative bloggers – Artists, writers, marketers and community builders. But there’s also a crap ton to sort through. And if all your day is spent consuming post after post after post, where’s it gonna get ya?

If your goal is to produce the best content you can, read as many books as you can get your little hands on. Give your RSS feed a rest and start here.

4. You don’t feel a sense of purpose.

This isn’t about money or emulating Mother Teresa. But it does concern you and why you’re here.

Can you define it? Are you on the cusp of “it?”

Listen. I think the social web is a ferociously creative place. It’s changed my life for the better, but I don’t feel like I’m wasting my time.

If you’ve been here for a while and you’re not growing, why not examine your reasons. Maybe you’ll find there’s no good reason.

Or maybe it’s time to shut down your laptop and go back to the drawing board.

Perhaps a little break is all you need. And you soon come back rejuvenated and ready to do some major league ass kicking.

5. You care too much.

About what other people think, that is.

Um, people are judging you all the time. Yep, they are … so what? Do you worry about ever little thing you write? Worried you might offend?

Plus this judgment is usually superficial and they generally couldn’t care less, really. They hate and move on to the next punching bag. Not to burst your self-important little bubble, but that’s the fact, Jack.

Sign-up Today to Get Your FREE eBook.

First of all, even if its drudgery, never stop. The universe is unfolding as it should and if you quit now, you will quit again, and again. Take heart amid the punches and kicks, you get those because you are a creative.

I read email the first thing in the morning, it just happens to be the time when am done with my work (a night owl); so, don’t follow his advice of not reading email.

All I do, is check my Google reader for new posts, then I read them, over time if a blogger gets it wrong, I unsubscribe, and if they feature some good links, I follow those and subscribe to more relevant blogs. It’s efficient to rely solely on your rss reader, with fewer choices, you execute more and get time to rest.

I agree with you to a certain extent. All work is not fun and all passion all the time is B.S., but I’m talking about spinning your wheels because you don’t have a plan. If not, it might be time to reevaluate.

Whatever works for you re: email, but I always find it best to hit the creative stuff and planning early. It’s more about discovering your own rhythms and not reading email at those peak times, and not being sucked into the spiraling social vortex.

I tend to accept the ebb and flow of content creation. Yes, I have strategy and editorial calendars but I also make sure I measure my data to ensure that I’m brining work in and putting the work in for clients. It’s very easy to read in this kind of space and get lost chasing wormholes. We can all over analyze and over blog / read blogs / participate in the hope of perfecting things when sometimes it would just be beter getting on with building better relationships with the clients we have.

The best thing I ever did was to measure the ROI from blogging and keep a better balance. I wrote less posts in 2012 than ever before but put out more podcasts. I still got more traffic to my site, more clients and billed for more work than in the 7 years I’ve been doing this. Sometimes it really is time to stop blogging (as much as before !).Jon Buscall recently posted..Last Year’s Stats Can Influence This Year’s Posts

There certainly is an ebb and flow and nothing ever goes perfectly according to plan, so for me it’s just about developing better habits, ’cause I’ve been guilty of wasting time like everyone else.

“We can all over analyze and over blog / read blogs / participate in the hope of perfecting things when sometimes it would just be better getting on with building better relationships with the clients we have.”
– So well stated and so true!! Sometimes we are so immersed in the social web we neglect those who help us pay the bills (not a good practice).

I like what you are saying and contrary to what many say, I think podcasting is here to stay and will only get bigger. So glad it’s working out so well for you!

Oh my! I am constantly surprised at how many bloggers just up and quit their blogs. It’s like a good friend moving away from your hometown. You promise to be in touch, but it just isn’t the same after they’re gone.

You’re right, though. Blogging is too much work for people to consider it a chore. You have to love it and have a passion about it to continue week after week, year after year.

I didn’t check off any of the items on your list, Craig, so I guess I will continue blogging, at least for the next week.

Hi Craig, I’m going to agree with you here, being social (in this sense of the word) is a huge time suck. I’ve never cared what people think so that’s probably why at my place it’s “small but mighty” – I write about what I want to write about, and I love the engagement that I get. I’ll continue it exactly as long as I still enjoy it and people still come by (or, even if they don’t!) I would like to get around like I used to, but it became too much and interfered with everything else I needed to do, so I took a big step back a while ago and just enjoy it when I can squeeze it in. I am much happier as a result and I would say my family is, too! Thanks for saying this – breath of fresh air Julie Barrett recently posted..Is Changing Your Mind What Changes Your Life?

It’s not a resolution, but I’ve been doing well so far this year cutting back on my social media consumption – very little Twitter, even less Facebook, only making time on LinkedIn to connect with colleagues. And reading only the most important blog posts. I’ve pared down my reader, and I don’t read every post.

My time is far better spent with family and friends, working out, cooking, reading books, walking my dog, and enjoying some sunshine.

As far as content creation, I will only hit “publish” if I feel a post is worthy and awesome – to me. I think I did a pretty good job with that in ’12, but feel I can be even better this year. Nice post, Mr. McBreen!Joe recently posted..A Look Back At 2012 – The Year In Review

Yeah, those platforms are great of course, but if they dominate your day, you might just be a social media addict I keep paring down my reader too and lately have been reading way more books than blog posts.

“My time is far better spent with family and friends, working out, cooking, reading books, walking my dog, and enjoying some sunshine.”
– Man, that sounds great! I think you and I have that cooking bug too, huh?

Good advice. I have taken to the point I don’t understand much about Facebook and Twitter and don’t spend much time messing with them. May be someday I will figure how it all fits in, but it is a lot of energy that I could use elsewhere.

I try to write a decent amount of posts for my main site and when the inspiration shows up I write for the other sites. Trying to make connections with people through their blogs. Evaluating the best way to spend my time. Do get caught up in sifting through my emails, but have decided to unsubscribe to one’s that keep sending me the same old garbage. There is only so many hours in the day and I have to spend the time where it does the most good.

Started taking some educational courses online and feel that what I can learn through this can help me along the way. Not sure where I am totally going with it, but learning and enjoying is what matters. When I feel it is becoming like a chore that is when I know I have had enough.

It would be wonderful if we could do it all and still have free time, but it is impossible and trying to can become downright depressing. It really is all about the best use of your time and not to waste any. If one feels like all they are doing is going round and round, time would be better spent taking a very long vacation from all of it and then comeback and give it another try. If the heart is there you would know it, otherwise hang up your mouse!

Thanks and I agree. I do what I can with the platforms, then get out before they suck me in Oh and like you, I was once subscribed to one too many lists and every time I revisited email there were another 20+ messages … emptying the in-box became an obsession. Now I only deal with the most important client emails, then goodbye, it’s time to do something better with my time.

Good to hear that you are learning and enjoying.

Yes, trying to do it all is not only impossible it can lead to a hard crash, which is no fun at all. So depressing is right.

Well, I have to admit that I try my best to craft interesting headlines, but I try not to be too link bait-y about it. Not sure how successful I am at that

I don’t consider this a game, but I am having fun, but glad we agree that this is a vortex just waiting to suck you in.

I too think it’s a balance. I don’t want people to stop reading and commenting, but there are only so many hours in the day and it shouldn’t become so all consuming … doing all that work for pretty much nothing. So you are very right, it is a balance, like so many other things, just find your reasons and don’t get sucked in.

I am not really encouraging people to quit though. I’m asking each individual to question their reason for being here. And I wrote this because I, like many others, struggled with this early on. Getting the most out of blogging requires a ton of discipline, unless you’re simply in it for fun and games.

Very interesting post! I agree that sometimes you have to take a break because if you don’t, you will get so burned out you will quit. I am very guilty of reading too many blogs because I want to learn as much as I can and am afraid I’ll miss some important missing clue to make my site a success if I don’t read them…but it can get very tiring and lead to info overload. I’ve finally learned when to back off a little and regroup. I love this article!Sheila Bergquist recently posted..The View From Down Here: What Your Cat Sees

The social web has fried many. I’ve only been at this for about 16 months and I’ve see so many quality people vanish. Poof!

I love reading blogs too, but have learned to balance things out a bit, and read other stuff. This helps with creativity and it also can help you avoid the echo chamber effect when writing. I’ve sure had my ups and downs and I think we all go through blogging slumps, but I wrote this, ’cause I want to help a bit with blogging longevity

It is in the well balanced mixture, is it not, Craig? I remember so well that I read in one of your early posts: write and be creative first thing in the morning!

When I read the title of your post I knew it was time to stop by for a little bit longer! Caught in the act, how did you know? But I am happy to see that I am in good company and now it is time to get a plan as Carolyn so wisely said!

I laughed at first at this self defeating blog idea and thought WTF until I got through it and thought yes indeed. I also think some people blog because they think they have to rather than the need to share or be insightful.

I took a break from it all and am now back enjoying reading and commenting once more.Ali Richards recently posted..Why are some people moaners?

I’m still working on finding the focus for my blog, but I do force myself to blog at least once a week. It’s time consuming, but I do enjoy it once I get going. Even if I don’t have a burning topic, I find that writing helps me sort through my thoughts on a topic as I explore what about it caught my attention in the first place. Plus, its good practice for when I do have something more meaningful to share.

What I did change though is that I now write one more-in-depth piece per week instead of trying to write on the often-recommended three-per-week frequency. I haven’t found a way to enjoy getting my frequency up.

You are right though, doing other things in the real world gives me more ideas for what to write about than just browsing around online. Getting out and about does seem to be the best way to create something more original, too.

Good post. Your headline drew me in, thinking it was another Blogging Is Dead post, glad it took another direction.Helen Hoefele recently posted..Bad Behavior: At Whose Cost?

There are differing opinions on this, but I do think posting at least once a week is very important for someone just starting out.

It is time consuming, no doubt. But you’re so right, once you are immersed in the writing ideas often spring forth. Sometimes you sit down to write on one specific topic and end up with something completely different. That’s the creative process.

I like your plan. I think it’s more important to focus on writing quality pieces versus churning stuff out. If you love your current setup I certainly wouldn’t change it.

Food for thoughts. I think passion is an ultimate weapon for keeping the blogging spirit alive. That is why people who start their blog just to earn money often end up as spammers or failures.
However passion also can dry up leading to a loss in creativity. While learning a musical instrument for example , one often gets up and down in growth curve. Sometimes its no growth for months with a period of great growth in a small time. The thing for me in such situations is to take temporary breaks and let it all come back.
I really liked the points you shared here. Thank you.Ashvini recently posted..Your level of engagement decides quality of your group or tribe

“That is why people who start their blog just to earn money often end up as spammers or failures.”
– Yes! There is definitely no grand purpose there.

Passion will certainly ebb and flow, if it’s always there you’re pretty darn lucky. Nice comparison. When you’ve put in thousands of hours trying to learn something (say guitar) it must be magic when you can just make that thing sing.

I read your test questions and I’m proud to say that I’ve passed! I can keep blogging. It is a good thing, too because I just did the math and I’ve posted every day for the last 1,214, it is my favorite part of each evening, and without it I wouldn’t be able to write nearly as many novels.

I keep dilly dallying the decision to quit blogging. After having lost almost all of my readers, I still keep thinking they’ll visit someday. Gosh, I sound like an addict, don’t I? I’m not an addict, but definitely a dreamer. Found your words interesting. And AJ Leon’s spunk, too.
PriyaPriya recently posted..Marijuana and Me

I figure if you’re not enjoying the process, it’s either time to get out or re-tool. I’m a fan of not giving up, so I usually come out on the side of reevaluating and coming at it from another direction. Dreaming is good! It’s turning those dreams to action that’s the trick. Well really no trick to it. Just creativity, hard work and determination. Hope you choose to stay in the game.

Social media is a huge time sink and it doesn’t really pay off for your blog. I do it, but I don’t kid myself that it’s blogging. You are much better off working on your titles, your in-page subtitles, and making content that YOU would read. If people don’t like it, at least you do, and that’s more important than any amount of traffic. Well, traffic is pretty fun! But what are people reading when they get there? The real judgement that stings? When YOU know what you posted is crap.Astro Gremlin recently posted..Best Aircraft Cable Key Ring and Why Not to Get the Wrong Kind

It sure is. And to your point: Yes, create something you love, otherwise there is no flow. Traffic is good, but you’ll get no traffic if you pump out content you’re not excited about … it shows through.